I created a designer-look bathroom for less

Helen Freed brought her design vision to life with a clever layout and savvy shopping, ensuring she didn't overspend to get the scheme of her dreams

- Maxine Brady

Looking for a lifestyle change for their young family, Helen, 39, and her husband, Charles, 36, swapped their mid-terrace house in London for a spacious three-bedroom property in the Sneyd Park area of Bristol. The only downside was that their new home was stuck in a 1960s time warp, complete with a carpeted bathroom.

The property was owned by an elderly lady, who had lived there for the past 60 years. 'It was a lovely house that she had lived in forever, but the interior was extremely dated, says Helen. The previous owner had had a few potential sales fall through because the house is situated in a conservation area that's subject to some onerous restrictive covenants. But I'm a lawyer, so the covenants didn't put us off buying the house, as I knew that we would be able to figure out a way to work around the legal constraints.

They were excited to start work and Helen turned her attention to the bathroom first, as she felt that was where she could make the most impact. “I wanted to put my stamp on our home and knew I could make a big impression by transforming the bathroom.'

STEP INSIDE...

WHO LIVES HERE?

Helen Freed, 39, a Lawyer; my husband, Charles, 36, an Operations Manager; and our two children, Freddie, aged five, and Stanley, three. We live in a three-bedroom property in Sneyd Park, Bristol.

WHAT WAS UPDATED?

We ripped out the old bathroom suite and installed a new shower and bath, and chose statement tiles for a modern new look.

WHY THE CHANGE?

The bathroom was stuck in the 1960s, with a beige suite, floral wall tiles and green carpet. We wanted to bring it up to date with clean lines and modern finishes.

HOW LONG DID IT TAKE?